"50 Nature Activities for Kids" by Dave Erler

50Nature Activities for Kids

Dave Erler Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Copyright Š 2016 Squam Lakes Natural Science Center All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

For information please contact: Squam Lakes Natural Science Center PO Box 173/ 23 Science Center Road Holderness, NH 03245 nhnature.org ISBN: 978-0-692-67258-7 Printed in the United States of America by: Steuben Press Longmont, Colorado www.steubenpress.com All photos Š Squam Lakes Natural Science Center unless otherwise noted.

Dave Erler, Author Amanda Gillen, Graphic Designer Melissa Proulx, Assistant Editor Janet Robertson, Editor For my colleagues, past and present, to honor their dedication to making natural science come alive for children and adults.

Introduction

This book of 50 Nature Activities for Kids was assembled to commemorate Squam Lakes Natural Science Center’s 50th anniversary in 2016. All the activities presented have either been used at the Science Center or are activities I have done over the past 50 years.

Many of the projects use natural items commonly found throughout New England. As with any type of collecting, an effort should be made to use things wisely, taking measures to minimize the impact on the living plants and animals encountered. In some cases, children will need supervision from an adult.

Approximately half are plant-focused and half are primarily animal-focused, with a few that involve both plants and animals, plus half a dozen miscellaneous activities. An attempt was made to include projects that require little or no preparation as well as some that require construction of items using common household materials and tools.

This guide’s overriding goal is to encourage children of all ages to get out and explore the natural world and have fun!

- Dave Erler

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Table of Contents 1. Balsam Fir Blister Boats........................................................... 6 2. Bark Rubbings........................................................................ 8 3. Berry Picking........................................................................ 10 4. Bio Census............................................................................ 17 5. Bird Nesting Materials.......................................................... 18 6. Bracken Fern Hat.................................................................. 19 7. Build a Budget Bird Bath....................................................... 20 8. Build a Butterfly Net.............................................................. 21 9. Burdock Games.................................................................... 22 10. Capture Water from a Tree!................................................. 24 11. Catching Crawfish.............................................................. 26 12. Checking Animal Burrows.................................................. 30 13. Christmas Eve Critter Feed................................................. 32 14. Color With Plants ............................................................... 33 15. Construct a Pond Scope...................................................... 34 16. Create a Boarding House for Wildlife.................................. 36 17. Dandelion Seed Roulette.................................................... 38 18. Fire in a Jar - Catching Fireflies........................................... 40 19. Flower and Leaf Press......................................................... 42 20. Forcing Pussy Willows......................................................... 44 21. Full Moon Bird Migration Observation................................ 46 22. Fun Art with Fungus............................................................ 48 23. Grass Blade Whistle............................................................ 50 24. Ground Trap for Small Critters........................................... 52 25. How Tall Is That Tree?......................................................... 56 26. Jewelweed.......................................................................... 58

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Table of Contents 27. Leaf Prints........................................................................... 60 28. Life Under Logs.................................................................. 62 29. Look for Animal Tracks....................................................... 66 30. Make a Brush Pile for Wildlife............................................. 68 31. Make a Minnow Trap........................................................... 70 32. Make a Picture Story........................................................... 74 33. Make Your Own Air Freshener............................................ 75 34. Meteors in the August Sky and in the Mouth....................... 76 35. Milk Jug Bird Feeder........................................................... 78 36. Mothing 101 – Attract Moths by Light.................................. 82 37. Mothing 102 – Attract Moths by Smell................................. 84 38. Old Sock Seed Search......................................................... 86 39. Pinecone Peanut Butter Bird Feeder.................................... 88 40. Preserving Fall Foliage....................................................... 90 41. Racing Invertebrates........................................................... 92 42. Soda Bottle Terrarium......................................................... 94 43. Striped Maple Leaf Goose Feet........................................... 98 44. Sucking in a Bird................................................................100 45. Sumac Lemonade..............................................................102 46. Surefire Firestarter.............................................................104 47. Take the Temperature of Snow...........................................105 48. Temperature Mapping.......................................................106 49. Turtle Tracker....................................................................108 50. Visit a Vernal Pool..............................................................110 Appendices............................................................................113

Let the maple leaf guide you to find the best season for the activity: Spring Summer Fall Winter Any Season

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

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1. Balsam Fir Blister Boats One of the neatest things I discovered when I was a young boy was how to use balsam fir pitch to propel a small stick across the surface of water. To make a balsam boat first find a balsam fir tree (think Christmas tree, see the photo below). On the trunk, there are what look like small, 1/2-inch, rounded blisters.

These pitch-filled growths will provide the propellant for your boat. Using a short twig about the size of a wooden match stick, puncture the pitch blister. A drop of fir pitch will stick to the end of the twig. Place the twig in water. The pitch will react with the water’s surface tension to push the twig forward, leaving a rainbow-colored trail behind it. You can experiment to see how the size and shape of the twig affects how it travels across the water’s surface.

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2. Bark Rubbings Bark rubbings are a fun way to learn and record how various types of trees have different textures and patterns. All you need is plain paper and unwrapped crayons. Hold the paper against a tree. Use the long, flat side of the crayon to rub against the paper.

You can make your finished product into a colorful art display or identify and label the bark rubbings to make your own guide to tree bark. Making bark rubbings is a great activity for any season of the year.

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Nature Notes

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3. Berry Picking One of the best ways to help instill a bond with nature is to forage for edible berries. The descriptions below focus on eight common low-growing edible fruit plants in New England. You can eat the berries as you pick or gather them to make preserves, pies, cakes, or muffins. When picking any wild edible plant keep two things in mind. Be sure of your identification, and pick conservatively so there are some left for wildlife to share. Most of the berries covered here are a top food choice for wildlife.

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Although the fruits described here are called berries, some, such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and dewberries, are technically an aggregate fruit (having seeds from different ovaries in a single flower). A berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single flower with one ovary, such as a blueberry. For the purposes of this guide we are content to call any small fruit a berry.

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Wild Strawberries Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) is the first of the wild berries to come into season, ripening by mid to late June. The little red fruits are much smaller than commercially grown strawberries, but sweeter.

Wild strawberries prefer to grow in dry soil and are found in fields and pastures.

The three serrated leaflets, fuzzy stem, and underside of the strawberry’s leaflets distinguish the plant from poison ivy, whose three leaves are smooth, somewhat glossy, and have large serrations only on the outside edge of the two side leaves.

Wild strawberry leaf

Poison ivy leaf

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Wild Raspberries Wild raspberries get their name from the fact that they produce an aggregate fruit with many drupelets around a central core or rasp. Included here are four closely-related thorny species: red raspberry (Rhus aboriginum), black raspberry (Rhus occidentalis), Red raspberry blackberry (Rhus allegheniensis), and dewberry (Rhus aboriginum).

Red raspberry grows four to five feet tall with pale thorny green stems or canes. You can look at the thorns to distinguish it from black raspberry and blackberry. This is important Black raspberry as both black raspberry and blackberry fruits turn red before they ripen to black.

Red raspberries have many small thorns that seem almost fuzzy compared to black raspberries. Black raspberries also have shorter curving canes that often have a pale bluish color that rubs off.

Blackberry canes are much Blackberry taller (up to eight feet) and stouter with fewer but larger thorns than either red or black raspberries. Dewberry is vine-like, having shorter, smaller stems that trail along the ground.

Both red raspberries and black raspberries have fruits that when picked separate from the core or rasp giving them a hollow appearance.

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Dewberry

Besides their black color, black raspberries are also a bit smaller and rounder than red raspberries.

The core, or rasp, of blackberries and dewberries stays intact when picked. Blackberries are much larger than dewberries so picking a large amount is easier. Dewberries require a lot more bending to pick and it’s sometimes hard to beat the chipmunks to them when they are fully ripe. Red raspberries and black raspberries ripen in July compared to blackberries and dewberries that usually aren’t ready until August.

Red raspberry stem

Black raspberry stem

Blackberry stem

Dewberry stem

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Red raspberry detaches from rasp

Dewberry cobbler

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Blackberry rasp stays attached to fruit

Blueberries Blueberries are probably the most popular wild berry to pick. The two most common species are the lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) and highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum).

Lowbush blueberries are the first to produce and are usually ripe by the middle of July. They prefer to grow in well-drained acidic soil and are found in woodlands, ditches, and power line right-of-ways. The 1/4-inch berries are smaller than the highbush blueberries, but in a good year can still be gathered in large amounts.

Highbush blueberries usually ripen in August. They are often found growing in moist acidic soils along the margins of swamps, bogs, ponds, and lakes. You can harvest a large number of the 1/2-inch wild berries in a relatively short amount of time. The wild highbush blueberry is the progenitor of the most common commercially grown blueberries found in stores, but is far superior in flavor.

Lowbush blueberry

Highbush blueberry

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Cranberries Cranberries get their name not from the berry, but from the stem, calyx, and petals of the flower that resemble the neck, head, and bill of a crane. When most people think of cranberries they think of the familiar Thanksgiving dish harvested in commercially grown cranberry bogs. In the wild, bog cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) are found in cold peat bogs and sometimes even in wet roadside ditches or in low areas on beach sand dunes. If you hike above tree line in late August or early September you may be able to enjoy the fruits of the mountain cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea).

Both types of cranberries are low, creeping, woody vine-like plants. The small 1/2 to 3/4-inch dark evergreen leaves make them inconspicuous until the round red berries are formed.

Mountain cranberries, or lingonberries as they are called in Scandinavia, produce smaller berries than bog cranberries but can be used in the same way to make sauces, jellies, and drinks.

The berries can persist through the winter, but to use them at their best they need to be harvested before they freeze on the bush.

Bog cranberry

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Mountain cranberry

4. Bio Census How many living things can be found in a given space? With just a flying disc and a metal coat hanger you can conduct your own bio census.

Before you head outside, bend the coat hanger into the shape of a square. Visit a field or forest and throw the disc to randomly select a spot to conduct your study. After tossing the disc, go to the spot where it landed and place the coat hanger around the disc. Remove the disc and begin your search, counting every plant, fungus, or animal you discover.

A magnifying glass is fun to use but not essential. It’s good to repeat the process several times in an area to get a better idea of what is there. To keep it fun you may want to set a time limit at each station. “How many living things can we find in two minutes?”

If possible visit both a forest and field to compare which has more living things. (Hint: Does the amount of sunlight affect how many living things you find in the coat hanger square?)

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5. Bird Nesting Materials Spring is the season of renewal. Birds sing to attract a mate and defend the territory around their nest. The nest that a bird makes protects, cushions, insulates, and holds the eggs together during incubation. A fun experiment you can try is to provide nesting materials to see what the birds in your yard might use to construct their nests.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Record the types of materials you put out and observe what the birds in your yard choose. The best time to conduct this experiment is mid-April through May. Materials: • mesh produce bag, suet cage, or a square of hardware cloth to hold materials • dead grass, feathers, human or animal hair • moss • dried weeds • twigs • strips of bark • roots • cotton fluff Yarn, thread, and string are not recommended as the birds may get tangled in them.

Directions: Weave the material through the mesh of your holder.

Attach the holder to a shrub, tree branch, or tree trunk where you can easily observe it.

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6. Bracken Fern Hat If you have ever hiked with kids on a hot, humid day with deer flies buzzing around your heads, you know that what might have seemed like a great adventure can become a miserable form of torture to the kids. What you need is some type of distraction to also help provide shade and relief from the flies. If you can recognize bracken fern you might have the ticket to changing everyone’s outlook by wearing bracken fern hats.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) is one of the most common and widest ranging ferns in the world. It is easy to recognize by its distinctive large triangular fronds. Standing 1 to 3 feet tall it almost appears treelike in stature. While most ferns prefer shaded moist woodlands, bracken fern thrives in sandy gravelly soils and full sunlight. It is common in open woods and along woodland edges. Aggressive in its growth, it is often a bane to farmers when it overtakes pastures. It is difficult to eradicate so taking a few for headwear is not a problem.

To make a bracken fern hat just pull the fern stalk (stipe) by the base. It breaks from the underground rhizome fairly easily. The next step is to break the stalk a few inches below the point where it divides into the three side branches (pinnules). Turn the frond upside down and place it on top of your head. The fronds provide shade and as you walk the bouncing frond will discourage deer flies from landing on your head. If the deer flies try to land they usually land on the highest point, so the protruding stalk provides a perfect landing spot away from your head.

If everyone puts on a fern hat you can make a game of it to see who can keep it on their head the longest without it falling off. Be prepared, as I have seen some kids try to cheat by weaving grass blades together to make chin straps to help keep it in place!

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7. Build a Budget Bird Bath Birds need water to drink but also to help clean their feathers and remove parasites. Providing a suitable spot for birds to splash around is a great way to attract birds that won’t come to feeders. A bird bath also allows you to observe bird behavior in bear country where setting out bird feeders isn’t feasible.

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The best bird baths are those close to the ground. Commercial pedestal bird baths make nice lawn ornaments, but birds by nature splash around in puddles on the ground. Unfortunately puddles are only temporary. You can build a functional bird bath to provide water all the time for little or no money.

To make the bowl for a budget bird bath you can use a trash can lid, terra cotta planter base, or even a hubcap from a car. Make a low stand by using piled rocks or a low cut tree stump.

The most important things to consider in building and maintaining a bird bath are: • Keep it shallow.

• Keep it clean. Scrub and refill it twice a week to clean it and eliminate it as a mosquito breeding habitat.

• Locate it in a shady spot to reduce evaporation loss.

• Locate it close to cover where birds can escape if needed.

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8. Build a Butterfly Net Catching butterflies and other insects is great fun, and a net can really help. If you don’t have a store-bought net, you can easily make one that works adequately.

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Materials: • plastic grocery bag • metal clothes hanger • masking tape • a stick, old broom handle, or wooden dowel • wire or duct tape Directions: 1. Bend the clothes hanger to form a circular hoop.

2. Wrap the edges of the plastic bag around the hanger. Use masking tape to fasten the bag every couple of inches to the hoop.

3. Straighten the hook of the clothes hanger and attach it to your wooden handle using duct tape or wire.

Your net is ready to go! The great thing about these homemade nets is if the “net” rips or tears it is easily replaced.

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9. Burdock Games Flowering plants have a variety of adaptations for dispersing their seeds. One of the most ingenious is displayed by common burdock (Arctium minus). If you have ever returned from a hike in late summer or fall and discovered round 1/2inch balls attached to your pants, socks, or your dog’s fur, you have been introduced to burdock. The seed heads or burrs have hundreds of tiny hooks that snag easily on clothing or fur. Most animals find the burrs annoying and try to remove them thus “planting” the seeds.

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Burdock is a common weed that grows in old fields. It is a biennial, meaning it takes two years to flower and produce the seed heads. The first year the plant’s large, low-growing leaves resemble those of rhubarb. The second year burdock grows spikes 3 to 5 feet high with purplish flowers that resemble thistle flowers, a related plant.

Burdock burrs are fun to play with. The burrs stick together so well you can make little people or animal figures. Stick a bunch together to make a ball and play a game we called “stick tight tag” when I was a kid. Or make a target out of an old piece of flannel or burlap and have a competition tossing burrs!

Burr Bear

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First year

Second year

Flowers

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10. Capture Water from a Tree!

Do Plants Sweat or Pee? Young children know that plants need water to grow, but where does the water go? They know it soaks into the soil and they may even know the roots suck the water into the plant, but then what?

This activity provides a simple demonstration to help explain the process of transpiration.

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Simply put, transpiration is the movement of water from the roots of a plant through the stem and leaves to the atmosphere.

Roots absorb water that is transported through the plant’s water channels (xylem) to the leaves. The water is sucked through the channels by negative pressure created as the water evaporates from the leaves. Openings on the underside of the leaf (stomata) regulate when and how much water is released as a gas. Transpiration is important in cooling the plant as well as pumping water and minerals to the leaves for photosynthesis.

It is estimated that over 98% of a plant’s energy is used in transpiration, with the remaining used for plant growth. The rate of transpiration depends on a variety of factors including the amount of sunlight, temperature, soil moisture, humidity, and wind speed. A single leaf may transpire many times its own weight.

This means that at the peak of its growing season a large maple tree can transpire 50 to 60 gallons per hour. Overall, the process of transpiration is part of the larger water cycle and contributes about 10% of the water returned into the atmosphere.

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For this experiment you need 6 clear plastic bags similar in size, and tape or twist ties. In the morning on a sunny day, place the plastic bags over clusters of different plant leaves (2 kinds of broadleaved trees, garden plants, evergreens) and seal the bags tightly around the branches or stem with tape or twist ties.

Check the bags several times during the day to observe what happens. Be sure to remove the bags when you are finished.

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11. Catching Crawfish Crawfish or crawdads are one of the most recognizable invertebrates with over 200 species found in North America.

Depending on the species, they inhabit freshwater ponds, lakes, and streams. Children (and adults) are usually fascinated by these “miniature lobsters.” Crawfish are primarily active at night. During the day they seek out shelter, often under submerged rocks. Crawfish eat both plant and animal material, the latter both dead or alive. Use a flashlight at night to see them scavenging along the bottom in shallow water. They are frequently found around rocky or weedy shorelines. You can catch them using a number of techniques. Here are a couple of ways to catch these captivating crustaceans.

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Catching in a trap: • Use a common funnel minnow trap (see Make a Minnow Trap on page 70). Bait it with raw fresh fish or chicken.

• Check the trap a few hours after dark or in the morning.

Catching by hand during the day: • Use a bucket, can, or mesh box.

• Carefully lift rocks trying not to stir up mud or sediments.

• Place the bucket, can, or mesh box behind the tail end of the crawfish.

• Wave a stick or your hand in front of the crawfish, which will then scoot backwards into the collecting container.

Keep crawfish in a well-oxygenated aquarium to observe them.

Feed the crawfish worms or commercial fish food that sinks.

It’s best to keep crawfish separate from pet fish as they may try to eat smaller fish, or larger fish may eat small crawfish.

Release the crawfish only where they were captured.

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Materials: • 12 inch square piece of 1/4-inch hardware cloth • tin snips • metal wire or twist ties • pliers

Directions: 1. Lay hardware cloth on a flat surface.

2. Using tin snips, make a 2-inch cut on two corners.

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3. Bend the sides together and secure the corners with wire or twist ties.

4. Place the flat edge of the mesh box behind the crawfish, hold it at 45 degrees and as the crawfish scoots backwards, lift up the mesh box to catch it.

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Nature Notes

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12. Checking Animal Burrows It’s not uncommon to come across the entrances of underground burrows. How can you tell what animal made the den or if it is currently being used? Below is a list of clues to help you to identify what animal made the tunnel. To determine if it is currently active simply place several small sticks in different directions across the entrance. If it is an active den, the sticks will be displaced by the resident, usually within a day or two.

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Chipmunk

Woodchuck

Red fox

Woodchuck Woodchuck burrow with sticks across entrance

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Diameter

Location

Animal

1 inch at a shallow woodlands/woodland edge angle

shrew species

1 inch

woodlands/base of tree

white-footed/ deer mouse*

1 to 1 1/2-inch at a shallow angle

meadow/grassy field

meadow vole, short-tailed shrew*

2 inch at a steep angle

open woods, gardens, near stone walls

chipmunk

2 to 2 1/2-inch at surface of ground

near wetlands

star-nosed mole

2 to 2 1/2-inch with raised sod

uplands

hairy-tailed mole

2 to 3 inch

near or under buildings, woodpiles

rat

4 inch

edge of steams, lakes, wetlands

muskrat

4 to 6 inch at a steep angle

near buildings, woodpiles, stonewalls, old woodchuck den

skunk**

6 inch at a steep angle

fields, meadows, woodland edge, excavated soil at one entrance

woodchuck**

8 to 10 inch

fields, meadows, woodland edge, modified woodchuck den

red fox**

10 to 13 inch

open woodlands, woodland edge, modified woodchuck den

coyote**

* shrews frequently use the burrows of voles and mice ** woodchuck burrows are often modified and used by other wildlife

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13. Christmas Eve Critter Feed One of my favorite seasonal traditions is distributing bird seed throughout the woods near my home on Christmas Eve. I first started doing this as a way to get my young daughters out of the house for some fresh air and exercise - a good way, I thought, to burn off the excitement and energy built up in anticipation of the big evening and day to come.

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After bundling the girls up, we grabbed a couple of old bread bags filled with sunflower seed and mixed bird seed. The goal was to find and put a handful of seeds next to, inside of, or on top of holes in trees, small animal burrows, tree stumps, fallen logs, and boulders. Some years we made peanut butter seed-covered pine cones to hang from tree branches (see Pinecone Peanut Butter Bird Feeder on page 88).

To counter the day after the Christmas let down, we went out to see if the seed stashes had been discovered. If the conditions were good we’d look at the tracks left behind. Usually we found tracks of mice, squirrels, and birds, or the remains of sunflower seeds. One year we found the tracks of a gray fox that had followed our trail and eaten most of the seeds. The annual event became such a tradition that even today my grown daughters still look forward to our Christmas Eve critter feed.

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14. Color With Plants It’s been said beauty is in the eye of the beholder and anyone can be an artist. Using just plain white paper (white construction paper works well) try using a variety of natural materials to create a picture. Many items reveal their color best when rubbed against paper placed on a hard smooth surface. Crushing plant material often helps to produce the best color. You may want to experiment first by making color samples on a separate piece of paper. My plant art work looks a lot like finger painting, but I have seen some creative uses of flower petals, tree bark, and charred wood from a camp fire. As with any plant collecting you should be able to recognize and avoid using poison ivy or the resulting art work may be remembered for more than one reason.

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15. Construct a Pond Scope Being able to see into the underwater world of a pond is a wonderful experience. Surface glare, waves, and shadows often make it difficult to see down into the water, but you can construct a simple pond scope with common household materials to provide a view into a whole different world.

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Materials: • 32-ounce plastic container and lid • medium-sized metal can • plastic wrap • duct tape • rubber bands • can opener • scissors

Directions: 1. Cut a large circle in the plastic container lid with scissors leaving about a 1/4-inch border along the top edge.

2. Remove the bottom of the metal can with a can opener.

3. Using the metal can trace a circle on the plastic container bottom.

4. Cut the circle out of the plastic container bottom.

5. Duct tape the can to the plastic container bottom.

6. Stretch the plastic wrap over the top of the plastic container and snap the lid to seal the plastic wrap.

7. Use rubber bands to hold the excess plastic wrap to the plastic container sides.

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Now you are ready to explore a nearby pond or other body of water!

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16. Create a Boarding House for Wildlife If you have some old boards (not pressure treated), rather than discard them to a landfill, use them to create shelter for small critters. Almost any board will do, but the wider the better. Find a location in an old field, meadow, or forest edge and lay them down. That’s it!

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Toads, snakes, spiders, crickets, mice, voles, shrews, and other small animals may take advantage of the protection you provided. Leave the boards in place for several weeks before checking. When you do check, try to set them back in the same place. If you have more than one board, prop up the end of one by about 1/2-inch with a small stone or stick. Compare what you find under it with a board laid flat.

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Nature Notes

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17. Dandelion Seed Roulette The common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is probably one of the most recognized “wildflowers.�

Although a native of Eurasia, it has been naturalized across most of the U.S. It is established in many locations that have one thing in common plenty of sunlight. Often considered a bane to those with manicured lawns, the dandelion is no doubt here to stay. On the plus side, the dandelion is eaten by wildlife like deer and bear that eat the leaves, and goldfinches and wild turkeys that consume the seeds. Humans also eat the ubiquitous dandelion using the young leaves in salads or cooked as a potherb. The dried roasted roots have been used in some coffee substitutes and the flowers for making wine. Traditional herbalists claim dandelion is important in treating a variety of ailments including those of the liver, gall bladder, kidneys, stomach, and spleen as well as eradicating warts, and soothing bee stings, sores, and calluses.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

A fun thing to do with the globelike seed heads is to play dandelion roulette. This activity demonstrates how the umbrella– like structure attached to the seed is an adaptation for seed dispersal. The game is played between two people or with an entire group. To begin, find a mature seed head. Pass the seed head from one person to the next with each contestant blowing on the seed head just hard enough to blow at least one of the seeds free without blowing off all the seeds. If all the seeds are blown off, that individual is eliminated and a new seed head started. The game continues until either all the contestants are eliminated or one person is declared the winner by blowing just hard enough to leave one remaining seed.

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18. Fire in a Jar - Catching Fireflies A summer doesn’t seem complete to me without spending at least one night outside observing and catching fireflies. Fireflies, or lightning bugs, might better be called blinking beetles as they are neither flies nor bugs, but soft-bodied beetles. Their ability to produce light (bioluminescence) is not unique in the natural world, but they are probably the best known animals to do so. The light they produce is caused by a chemical reaction in the end segments of their abdomens. The “cold” light produced is nearly 100% efficient, unlike a typical incandescent electric light bulb which produces more heat than light.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Photo courtesy Firefly.org

The purpose of the firefly light displays we see in summer is primarily an adaptation for finding a mate. There are over 100 species of fireflies in the U.S., including at least a couple dozen in New England alone. Not all species of fireflies flash, but each species that does has its own flash pattern and slightly different flash color, ranging from soft amber to light yellow to yellow green.

The best places to find fireflies include meadows or unmanicured lawns adjacent to woodlands and wetlands. Catching fireflies is fairly easy and can be done gently by hand or with an insect net (see Build a Butterfly Net on page 21).

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It’s fun to put a few fireflies in a ventilated jar and watch the “light show” up close. Although they can survive for a day or two in a jar with a wet paper towel, it is best to release them after observing them for a short while. It’s also important to gently release them back to the same habitat where they were captured. Unfortunately, there is evidence that fireflies are in decline, possibly due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and even light pollution. If you enjoy watching fireflies you may want to consider contributing your observations to a project called Firefly Watch. (http://www.mos.org/fireflywatch)

Photo courtesy Firefly.org

Photo courtesy Firefly.org

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19. Flower and Leaf Press A great way to preserve a memory of a hike or outing is to collect and press a few flowers or colorful fall leaves. Recycle an old telephone book to make a flower or leaf press.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Materials: • flowers and leaves • tissue paper, coffee filters, or paper towels • stack of heavy books, old phone books, bricks, rocks, or sand in a container

Directions: 1. Collect flowers or leaves when they are dry (not wet from dew or rain).

2. Place the flowers or leaves as flat as possible between two sheets of porous paper (tissue paper, coffee filter, paper towel).

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3. Carefully slide the papersandwiched flowers or leaves between 1/2-inch layers of the old phone book starting from the back of the book.

4. Weigh the telephone book down with bricks, flat rocks, plastic milk jugs filled with sand, or a pile of books.

5. Wait about two weeks for the flowers or leaves to dry. Check to make sure they are dry before removing.

6. Dried flowers or leaves can be sealed between two layers of clear contact paper. Cut to size to make decorations, mobiles, place mats, or bookmarks.

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20. Forcing Pussy Willows

By March, you’re ready for winter to be over, ready to see something growing. Along the edge of a stream you spot the fuzzy buds of pussy willows (Salix discolor), a sure sign that yes, spring is coming.

The name “pussy” stems from the resemblance to the fine, greyish fur of tiny cats also known as “pussies.” The fuzzy pussies are actually catkins, the male flowers of a number of species of small willow trees. Pussy willow catkins have a long history of being used in spring ceremonies.

In China they are a favorite flower celebrating the Chinese New Year. In Russia and northern Europe they were used in place of palms on Palm Sunday church ceremonies.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

A simple project to bring this sign of spring inside can be done by forcing a few pussy willow branches. Cut the willow branches at an angle to the branch stem. Put the willow stems in a vase or jar of water and place in a sunny window. Within a few weeks the fuzzy catkins will become long drooping whitish yellow flowers.

Eventually the slender willow leaves will sprout. You will also note roots sprouting from branches below the waterline. At this time they can be transplanted. Their water-loving roots are great for anchoring wet soils but don’t plant them near a septic leach field as the roots can become invasive. In a couple of years the pussy willow tree will be established. Pruning the tree back each year will stimulate growth, ensuring you will have plenty of little “pussies ” for the years to come.

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Pussy willow catkins in bloom

Sprouting roots

Willow leaves

Willow shrub

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21. Full Moon Bird Migration Observation Most birds migrate because of seasonal food shortages and not directly due to the cold. Obligatory insect-eating songbirds like swallows, warblers, and vireos have no choice but to migrate.

They begin their semi-annual long distance flights before insect populations decline. Most songbirds migrate at night, presumably to avoid strong winds and day-active predators like hawks and falcons. This also allows them to forage or refuel during daylight hours. If you go out on a calm night during migration season, you may hear the soft contact calls as birds fly overhead. If you want to see them in flight it’s best to go out between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. on a clear night when the moon is full in May or September. Most of these migrants fly between 500 to 1,500 feet above the ground, and occasionally up to 5,000 feet, so what you will see are periodic small blips going past the moon’s face. A telescope, spotting scope, or even binoculars will make it easier to see them. People have witnessed these events since the dawn of humans and it led some ancient cultures to believe the birds were flying to the moon. In the early days of radar people operating the radar stations reported seeing waves of “angels” on their screens, which, as you may have guessed by now, were waves of migrating birds.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 Light K0 Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 DarkK10 Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Photo courtesy Bob King

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Nature Notes

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22. Fun Art with Fungus There are thousands of species of fungus in New England.

Some are edible, some are not, but there is one that provides a canvas for artwork. The artist’s fungus, also called the artist’s conk (Ganaderma applanatum), is a type of wood decay fungus.

It looks like a protruding woody shelf growing on the trunk of a large hardwood tree. It can be identified by its brownish topside, pure white underside, and woody texture. It is one of the most persistent shelf fungi, sometimes growing for up to 10 years. If cut in half the number of layers reveal its age. You can find it in any season, but for its artistic purposes it can only be used in the growing season.

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The artist’s fungus gets its name from the fact that the white underside can be etched to create lettering or scenes. The tricky part of collecting it is to avoid touching the white underside until you are ready to do your artwork. Remove it from the tree trunk by pushing down on the topside or by carefully using a hatchet.

Either way you need to take care that it doesn’t fall to the ground as any contact on the underside will leave a mark. Try to avoid touching the underside or you might leave fingerprints.

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Once collected it is important to do your etching while it is still fresh. Using the sharp end of stick or an ice pick you can easily draw letters or carve a natural scene. Initially the etchings will appear light in color, but as it dries the lines will darken. Once dry, the etchings are permanent and the underside will no longer be sensitive. The wider side where it was attached to the tree provides a convenient base for displaying your artwork.

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23. Grass Blade Whistle If you can’t whistle, don’t worry, you can make some great sounds using a blade of grass.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Directions: 1. Find a thin, flat blade of grass (not the main stem), the wider the better.

2. Hold one end of the blade between the tips of your thumbs.

3. Bend your thumbs slightly to create a small gap and press the bases of your thumbs together on the other end of the grass blade.

4. Straighten your thumbs to make the grass blade taut.

5. Put your lips to your thumbs and blow.

The sounds you can make vary from a sharp squeal to someone blowing their nose. Try different types of grass blades to find one that works best for you.

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Nature Notes

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24. Ground Trap for Small Critters A simple and fun way to find out what invertebrates may be living in the forest or field nearby is to set some ground traps. All you need are jars or cans and a shovel or hand trowel.

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Directions: 1. Dig a hole deep enough so that the top of jar or can is level with the ground. It is best to tamp down the ground around the container using the soil you dug from the hole.

2. Keep adding and tamping the soil until the top is level with the ground.

3. Cover the top of the jar or can with a flat stone or board propped up about a 1/2-inch or so with small stones or pieces of sticks. This cover will keep rain or other debris from falling into the container.

4. Bait the trap with fruit, old meat, or fish. You may want to set out several traps in different habitats or with different bait to see what you will catch.

5. Be sure to check the trap(s) at least once a day.

When you are done with your study, remove the containers so the invertebrates you caught don’t starve or die from thirst. You may find that skunks or raccoons will occasionally push the lid off and raid the trap. In that instance, it is best to relocate the trap as the raiding animal may just return for the free handout again.

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Carrion beetle

Slug Red Eft Beetle larva

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Nature Notes

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25. How Tall Is That Tree?

Ever wonder how tall the tree in your yard is (or anywhere else)?

Here is a simple way to get a good estimate.

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Find a stick the length of your arm. Hold your arm out straight with the stick pointing straight up (at a 90 degree angle to your outstretched arm). Walk backwards until you see the tip of the stick line up with the top of the tree. Your feet are now at approximately the same distance from the tree as it is high. If you know your pace length, count the number of paces to the tree trunk and multiply the number of paces by your pace length.

This works provided the tree is much taller than you are and the ground is fairly level.

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Nature Notes

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26. Jewelweed If you are not already familiar with spotted jewelweed or spotted touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis), this is a good plant to get to know. Its common names are in reference to different parts of the plant. The name jewelweed comes from its water repellent Silvery appearance of the leaf in water leaf surfaces. Water forms round droplets looking like little jewels on the upper leaf surface. When submerged in water, the surface of the underside of the leaf prevents water from adhering, giving it the silvery appearance of aluminum foil. The spotted part of its common name stems from the reddish spots on the orange flowers. Touchme-not is in reference to its mature seed pods, which explode when touched, casting seeds several feet away.

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Jewelweed prefers wet soil so you often find it along the edges of wetlands, sometimes in dense patches. It grows up to 5 feet tall and can be identified by the long-stemmed, pale green, coarsely-toothed leaves that vary in size. The largest leaves are found on the lower plant stem and the smallest near the top. The smooth, hollow, semi-translucent stem shows swellings at the joints. When in bloom this common species, found across New England, has 1-inch orange trumpet-shaped flowers that have a curl at the end. The green seed pods form in late summer and are about 3/4-inch long, tapering at both ends.

Spotted orange flower

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Jewelweed is useful in several different ways.

Crush the stem and apply the juices to your skin to relieve itching from mosquito bites, wasp stings, and stinging nettle. The juice has proven anti-fungal

properties and is used to treat athlete’s foot. It is also used as a treatment for poison ivy, particularly when applied soon after exposure before the rash breaks out.

The fresh leaves can be added to a salad or cooked as a potherb similar to spinach.

A fun thing to do with jewelweed is to try and gather the mature seeds. Each seed pod has two or three seeds. When touched, the pods pop. To gather seeds you need to firmly grab the pod in your hand allowing it to pop, then slowly open your fist. By Semi-translucent stem rubbing the outer covering off the seed you will see the aqua-colored inner seed. You can eat these little seeds which have a flavor suggesting walnuts. Although you would never collect enough to make a meal, they do make a fun nibble.

Seed pod

“Exploded” seed pod

Husked seeds

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27. Leaf Prints A good follow up project to a hike in the woods is to make leaf prints from leaves you collect.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Some hints before you collect: • Larger leaves work better than small leaves.

• Collect leaves before they turn brown and brittle.

• Choose leaves that are flat, without curled edges.

• Make sure the leaves are dry before you start.

Materials: • newspaper • suitable paint, such as tempera or acrylic • paintbrush or sponge paintbrush • small paper cups to hold paint or cardboard to make a palette for paint • paper towels Directions: 1. Put newspaper down to contain the mess.

2. Put paint in small paper cups or put a small amount of paint on a palette.

3. Place a leaf on a paper towel.

4. Paint the underside, or more textured side, of the leaf surface, and make sure it is completely covered with paint.

5. Carefully lift the leaf by its stem and place it where you are making the print.

6. Cover it with a clean piece of paper and press firmly to make sure all the paint contacts the paper.

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7. Carefully lift the covering paper and, using the leaf stem, lift the leaf from the paper.

8. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly.

You can use the same type of leaf several times or choose different sized and shaped leaves to make a pattern. The finished product can be used as a work of art, to make gift cards, stationery, book covers, and gift wrap, or you can identify and label each leaf to make your own leaf guide.

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28. Life Under Logs Seeing wildlife up close is always an exciting experience. Too often though, with children in tow, the chance of catching more than a fleeting glimpse of larger wildlife is rare. One almost certain place to find smaller critters is under Wolf spider. Photo courtesy fallen logs. A host of invertebrates Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County like millipedes, centipedes, sow bugs, spiders, beetles, and small vertebrates like red-backed salamanders or red efts find shelter under fallen branches and tree trunks. A small glass container and a hand lens can enhance the experience. It’s fun to capture a few residents and observe them up close for a few minutes.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

There are a couple of guidelines for looking under logs. Number one, always try to place the log back the way you found it, even if you didn’t find anyone home when you looked. Number two, after a few minutes of observing, release the captured critters where you found them. Release them next to the log rather than lifting the log and then inadvertently crushing the critters when you set the log back in place. I never tire of looking under logs. The anticipation is a bit like opening a present to see what’s inside.

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Millipede Photo courtesy Jeff Hahn University of Minnesota Extension

Centipede. Photo courtesy University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Entomology

Sow bug Photo courtesy Jeff Hahn University of Minnesota Extension

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Red eft. Photo by Eric D’Aleo

Ground beetle Photo courtesy Jeff Hahn University of Minnesota Extension

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Red-backed salamander. Photo courtesy Allen Sheldon

Nature Notes

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29. Look for Animal Tracks Looking for animal tracks can be done at any time of the year.

Winter is an obvious time, especially one or two days after a light, fresh snowfall. There are many good books to help you identify tracks, but sometimes it’s just fun to find tracks and follow them to see where they lead you. Along the way you may find clues as to what the animal was doing and why it was moving in the direction it headed. Taking pictures of a clear, distinctive set of tracks with a camera or cell phone can preserve the experience and help you to identify them later. Try to note the size of the track for a reference point.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

During other seasons of the year, if you look along the edges of streams or wetlands, you’re bound to find exposed stretches of sand or mud that animals have crossed.

Or, you can make your own track pit. If you have a sandy or muddy area in your yard it is fairly easy. Use a rake to clear a small area of leaves, sticks, and other debris. After you rake the area, use the back of the rake to create a smooth surface. Bait the middle with bird seed, fruit, raw meat, or even better, use all three. Smooth out your footprints. Check your track pit over the next several days to see what visited. If you don’t have a sandy or muddy spot in your yard but do have a garden, you can create a small bare area in the fall after the growing season is over.

Mink tracks

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Snowshoe hare tracks

Nature Notes

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30. Make a Brush Pile for Wildlife Shelter is one of the most important components of any animal’s habitat. Building a wildlife brush pile is relatively easy, inexpensive, and a great way to recycle downed tree limbs. There are many materials you can use and many ways to construct an effective brush pile. This project creates protected spaces where wildlife can hide so place the pile in a location where wildlife are most likely to be.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Materials: • rows of piled rocks, wooden pallets, old fence posts, old drain tiles, old Christmas trees, or even old tires for a base • logs and tree limbs Directions: 1. Locate your brush pile near the edge of woodlands, corners of fields, near streams, or wetlands.

2. First layer: use the largest material to make five or six parallel rows, leaving 6 to 12 inches between rows.

3. Second layer: place medium-size tree limbs perpendicular to the top of the first layer.

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4. Third layer: crisscross the smallest material on top to make it as dense as possible.

5. The finished project should look somewhat like a dome. As for size, the bigger the better. Ideally the pile should be 10 to 20 feet in diameter and 4 to 8 feet high.

6. Keep the pile away from buildings.

7. Don’t use lawn clippings as they filter down, clogging the open spaces you are trying to create. Lawn clippings also speed the decomposition of the pile.

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31. Make a Minnow Trap This trap is easily constructed and suitable for catching a variety of aquatic animals depending on the type of aquatic habitat where it is used.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Materials: • 1 gallon clear plastic bottle with a handle • a 2 liter soda bottle • light gauge wire • needle and candle with pliers or drill with small and medium bits • utility knife or good scissors • hacksaw • wire cutters Directions: 1. Carefully use scissors to cut a hole in the bottom of the gallon bottle the same diameter as the soda bottle. Cut off the threaded end of the soda bottle with the hacksaw.

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2. Cut off the neck of the soda bottle about half an inch below where it tapers and cut 1/2-inch tabs.

3. Fold the tabs outward. This creates the funnel. Push the funnel into the hole created in the bottom of the gallon bottle.

4. Fold the funnel tabs flat against the edge of the gallon bottle.

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5. Use a drill with a small bit or pliers with a heated needle to make two small holes in each of the funnel’s tabs and matching holes in the gallon bottle.

6. Cut wire into short lengths, form the wires into a U shape.

Insert wire pieces through the holes in the tabs of the funnel and gallon bottle. Twist the wire together.

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7. Make a number of holes in the sides of the gallon bottle and make several holes in the cap.

8. Tie a light rope or heavy fishing line to the handle or secure a piece of wire around the midpoint of the bottle.

9. Add bait (dry dog or cat kibble, crackers, or stale bread) through either end of the trap into the main compartment of the gallon size bottle. Tie the rope or line to a secure object and place the trap in the desired location in the water.

10. Allow the trap to sit overnight before checking. Be sure to check the trap each day it is left in place.

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32. Make a Picture Story A good activity for a cold or rainy day is to use photos cut out of old outdoor or nature magazines to tell a story in pictures.

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33. Make Your Own Air Freshener If you like the smell of pine scent, you can make your own natural air freshener. Locate a pine tree that is oozing resin (sap) from a wound caused by insect damage or a broken limb. Another good place to look is where pine trees have been pruned in the past year. Scrape some of the resin, using a knife or similar scraping tool, into an old can or into a plastic container from the recycle bin. Back indoors, put the resin scrapings into a pan of water and bring to a boil. Some people claim inhaling the essence provides relief from a stuffy nose.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

The messiest part of the project is dealing with the sticky sap that you invariably get on your hands and clothes. To remove the sap from your hands, rub peanut butter on the spots and then wash with soap and water. On clothing, scrub the spot with rubbing alcohol.

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34. Meteors in the August Sky and in the Mouth Each year between August 9 and 13, there is an opportunity to see one of the best light shows in the night sky, the Perseid meteor showers. Although the actual peak varies from year to year, this period is when the Earth passes through the long gone tail of the comet Swift-Tuttle. They are called Perseid because they appear in the northeast sky where the constellation Perseus is located. The best time to see the most meteors is near dawn, but if you venture out on any clear night during this period, you have an excellent chance to see a number of meteors. Check online to find the peak period each year.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

To watch the Perseid showers all you need is a dark, preferably moonless night, a clear view of the northeastern sky, a blanket to sit on, and depending on where you are, some mosquito repellent. If you want to add some excitement to the outing (or any other time) bring along some Wint O Green Life Savers brand candies. It’s fun to see the light show of bluish sparks flash in your mouth when you bite down on these candy rings. You can watch the sparks in your own mouth if you have a mirror, but it’s even more fun to see the light flashes in someone else’s mouth.

The sparks you see are actually more like lightning than meteors. When you bite down you create a stream of electricity between negatively and positively charged particles in the candy. This process is an example of triboluminescence, meaning the emission of light resulting from something being smashed or torn apart. What happens is that electrical charges

Perseid Meteor Shower. Photo courtesy NASA

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are created when sugar molecules are crushed between the teeth and some of the electrons in the sugar molecules bump into electrons of nitrogen molecules in the air. This causes the molecules to vibrate, resulting in a faint shortwave-length light.

The flavoring in Wint O Green Life Savers brand candy is oil of wintergreen, which is fluorescent. The fluorescence absorbs the faint shortwave-length light and re-emits it in a longer wavelength, making the much more visible blue sparks you see in the mouth.

Wintergreen candy

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35. Milk Jug Bird Feeder An easy and inexpensive project for any age is constructing a bird feeder from a gallon milk jug or similar container. I have switched to making bird feeders out of recycled containers for two simple reasons; birds use them readily and I am not too devastated if the squirrels, raccoons, or bears destroy them. The whole idea of a bird feeder is to hold bird seed and protect it from the elements so you can enjoy watching birds come to your yard. The instructions that follow show the process for making a simple feeder. You may wish to add decorative features if you are inclined. Have fun!

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Materials: • milk jug • metal coat hanger or wire • 10-inch wooden dowel or straight stick • marker • scissors • ice pick, awl, or nail • pliers or wire cutters Directions: 1. Use a marker to outline the panels where you will cut access holes. Be sure to leave at least 2 inches of space on the bottom to hold seed. Use scissors to carefully cut out 2 access holes.

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2. Use a nail, awl, or ice pick to poke holes in the bottom of the milk jug to allow for drainage. Make two holes just below the cap to attach the metal coat hanger or wire for hanging the feeder. You can also make holes just below the access holes to attach a perch (optional).

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3. Use the pliers or wire cutters to cut the coat hanger to the desired length and attach it through the holes just below the cap.

4. Fill the feeder with bird seed (black oil sunflower is recommended). Hang the feeder where squirrels can’t access it, such as an eave in front of a window.

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Nature Notes

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36. Mothing 101 – Attract Moths by Light Many people think of moths as being drab or think their caterpillars are out to destroy our gardens and woolens.

Although some moths are notorious (think gypsy moths, tent caterpillars, and fall webworms), most are beneficial and some are colorful. No one knows just how many species of moths there are, but we do know there are at least 150,000 worldwide and they outnumber their butterfly kin almost 10 to 1. In the U.S., there are more than 11,000 known species with nearly 2,000 species found in New England. To discover what moths might be lurking in your neighborhood, try setting up a light station.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Materials: • old white sheet • light source • jars for collecting • clothesline or rope strung between trees • clothespins • a few large rocks or empty jugs filled with water or sand Directions: 1. Set up your station before sunset, preferably before a calm, cloudy, or moonless night.

2. Try to place your station away from other light sources.

3. Hang the sheet over a clothesline or rope strung between trees, using clothespins to hold it in place.

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4. Weight the bottom edge of the sheet with rocks or gallon jugs filled with water or sand to hold the sheet taut.

5. Set the light a short distance away so it shines directly on the sheet. The brighter the light the better. An ultraviolet (black) light is highly effective.

6. As soon as it gets dark turn on the light.

7. Check your light station every half hour or so to see what is visiting. The best hours are often between 10:00 p.m. and midnight.

8. If you want to photograph the moths or are trying to identify them with the aid of a field guide, collect the ones you are interested in using jars or clear plastic containers.

9. If you place the collecting containers in a refrigerator for half an hour the moths will become lethargic and are easier to photograph or observe closely.

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37. Mothing 102 – Attract Moths by Smell Moths have a superb sense of smell. Smell not only helps them locate food (like flowers they pollinate) but also to find a mate.

Using their antennae, some moths are able to detect female pheromones from more that 2 miles away! In Mothing 101 we used light to attract moths, but in this case we will see which moths are attracted to strong, sweet odors. The great thing about “sugaring” for moths is there is no exact recipe to follow.

The important thing is to create a sweet, stinky concoction that can be applied with a wide paint brush, but is thick enough in consistency so as not to drip. Some effective common ingredients to mix are brown sugar, molasses, stale beer or wine, mashed bananas, or just about any ripe fruit.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Once you have made your moth-attracting formula let it ferment for a day or two in a loosely closed container. Find some trees, preferably along the edge of a wooded area. An hour or two before sunset, “paint” your concoction about head height on the bark of several trees. You may want to paint a ring around the base of the tree to occupy the ants. In addition to moths and ants, you may also attract beetles and other invertebrates. If you also set up a light station a distance from your “sugaring” trees you can compare what you find.

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38. Old Sock Seed Search If you have done any hiking in the fall you no doubt have “collected” stick tights on your socks or pants. This seed dispersal adaptation is a great way for those plants to transport seeds. As a furry animal (or you) brushes against the seedbearing plant, the seed snags on the fur. When the animal grooms itself, it unwittingly plants the seed in a new location.

This activity is intended to see how many different seeds you can collect using a pair of your old socks.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Materials: • old socks (cotton works well, wool better) • tweezers • paper plates • glue stick or tape Directions: 1. In early autumn find an overgrown field.

2. Pull the socks over your shoes and lower pant legs.

Walk through and along the edges of the field.

3. When you have completed your hike, carefully remove the socks. You will find a variety of plant material collected on your socks.

4. Using tweezers, pick and sort the material on a paper plate.

5. You can display the seeds by gluing or taping them to another paper plate.

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6. You can also take one of the seed-covered socks and “plant” it. To plant it, locate a bare piece of ground or use a container with soil. Lay the sock flat and just barely cover it with soil, leaving part of the sock exposed. Many seeds need to overwinter to germinate so you may not see what grows until spring. It’s fun to see what your socks produce.

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39. Pinecone Peanut Butter Bird Feeder Making pinecone peanut butter bird feeders is a great activity for children of all ages. If you choose to make them indoors it’s best to spread some newspaper out before you begin. It may be a bit messy, but the kids will enjoy it and so will the birds. If you are allergic to peanut butter, shortening is a suitable alternative.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Directions: 1. Collect dry pine cones that have opened their scales.

2. Tie a piece of string or yarn around the stem end of the pinecone.

3. With a spoon or butter knife liberally coat the cone with peanut butter.

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4. Put bird seed in a large bowl (black oil sunflower is best). Roll the cone in the seeds.

5. Put the cone in a plastic bag and freeze for several hours.

6. Hang the finished cone outside and see which birds enjoy the treat.

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40. Preserving Fall Foliage When autumn arrives the leaves turn brilliant yellow, red, and orange, but it always seems their colors fade too fast. One way to enjoy the fall color of leaves for several months is to make waxed paper leaves.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Materials: • colorful leaves • waxed paper • ironing board • iron • old cloth (to protect iron and ironing board) • scissors Directions: 1. Collect leaves that are flat and dry but not brittle.

2. Sandwich leaves between two sheets of wax paper.

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3. Cover an ironing board with an old cloth.

4. Place the waxed paper leaf “sandwich” on the ironing board.

5. Put another old cloth on top of the leaf sandwich.

6. Heat the iron to high but don’t use steam.

7. Slowly iron back and forth with a little pressure to keep the leaves from shifting.

8. Once the waxed papers are sealed together, apply more pressure and hold in place for 4 or 5 seconds.

9. Allow the waxed paper to cool. Cut around the leaves, leaving a small margin around the edges.

The colors will usually last until it’s time to decorate for the Christmas season.

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41. Racing Invertebrates Is a centipede faster than a millipede?

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Is a black ant faster than a ground beetle?

Is a wolf spider faster than a Daddy Longlegs?

These are just a few of the possible match-ups you can try by making a simple invertebrate race track.

Materials: • cardboard or posterboard • crayon or marker • round bucket and jar Directions: 1. Use the larger circular object as a stencil to trace a large circle with a crayon or marker.

2. In the center of your large circle draw a small circle by tracing around the smaller object.

3. Collect invertebrates under logs, in ground traps, or sweep nets (see Build a Butterfly Net on page 21, Ground Trap for Small Critters on page 52, and Life Under Logs on page 62 for directions).

4. After you collect your invertebrates, pick two or more and place in a small container.

5. Turn the small container upside down in the small inner circle. Gently tap the container and lift to release your “contestants” onto the race track.

Try different combinations of critters. Time them to see which is faster. Does blowing on the critters with a straw have any effect?

Do they move faster in the shade or in sunlight?

When your “contestants” are done, be sure to release them back to the same habitat where they were captured.

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42. Soda Bottle Terrarium Making a terrarium can be a hands-on introduction to plant growth, the water cycle, and ecosystems. You can make a simple and inexpensive terrarium from a 2 liter soda bottle.

Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Materials: • 2 liter soda bottle • potting soil • cup of peat moss • cup of small stones • seeds or small plants • scissors • spray bottle Directions: 1. Clean and remove the label from the soda bottle. Keep the cap.

2. Mark a line 6 inches from the bottom of the bottle and carefully cut it along the line.

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3. Put small stones in the base to allow drainage.

4. Place a 1/2-inch layer of peat moss on top of stones to keep the soil from filling the drainage space made by the stones.

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5. Add potting soil to within 1 inch of the top.

6. Plant seeds or small plants*.

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7. Water to moisten the soil but don’t saturate it. A spray bottle works well.

8. Cutting several 1/2-inch slits on the top of the base may make it easier to get the top in place. Place the top over the base.

9. Place the terrarium in a spot where it can get sunlight, but not so much direct sunlight that it overheats.

10. To care for your terrarium it is important to check it often.

The closed environment greatly reduces the need to water frequently. In fact, you will see water droplets forming on the top, essentially creating rain for the plants. The soil needs to be moist but not soaked. If it gets too wet, remove the top for a day or two. * What to plant: If you are using seeds, almost any seed can be started. Be aware that many garden plants grow rapidly and may outgrow the container quickly. If timed right they can be transplanted into an outdoor garden. Good choices include garden herbs grown from seed, small house plants, or small native woodland plants. Small evergreen tree seedlings when decorated with native moss and bits of birch bark make an attractive terrarium.

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43. Striped Maple Leaf Goose Feet If you want to help someone learn to identify a neat tree common to the New England forests, this activity is sure to succeed.

The striped maple (Acer pennsylvanicum) is an understory tree that thrives in shade created by larger, taller trees. Rarely growing more than 30 feet in height, it still stands out because of its smooth, greenish, vertically streaked bark and very large leaves.

Like all maples, its leaves are opposite in their arrangement on the branch, but the leaves are much larger than any of the other maples. The large wide leaves with three distinct angular points are well-adapted to gathering the little sunlight that filters down through the forest canopy. Due to its slow growth and small size, it is not an important tree for Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

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commercial purposes, but it does provide browse for deer and moose, which accounts for one of its other common names, moosewood. Another name is the goose foot maple. It’s this name that makes it a fun tree to know, especially on one of those days when hiking with children who are beginning to tire and are running out of patience. If you spot a striped maple, ask them to find a tree with smooth green striped bark and big leaves.

Tell them if they can find the tree you will turn them into geese.

Once the tree is found, pick two of the large leaves and ask if the leaves look like the foot of a goose. If they agree and they are wearing shoes with shoelaces, take each leaf and thread the long stem through the crosses of their shoe laces. This transforms them into geese. Make a game of it to see who can keep their goose feet for the longest time as you continue your hike.

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44. Sucking in a Bird You are out on a walk. Out of the corner of your eye you spot a little bird flitting around in a thicket of shrubs. You can’t see it but are curious to know what it is. Your options: • Wait patiently hoping that it might pop out.

• Go crashing into the shrubs on the slight chance you may flush it out.

• Forget about it and continue your walk.

• Suck it out.

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What do I mean by sucking it out?

It means to put your lips to the back of your hand and make a sucking sound. If you remain still and repeat the sucking sound every few seconds it might arouse the curiosity of the bird, drawing it in so you can get a good look. A similar technique is to make a shushing sound with your mouth and lips. The premise is the sounds resemble an animal in distress and the bird responds by trying to see what is the cause.

A couple of things you might want to note. It doesn’t always work if the bird has been “sucked in” before by a number of birders.

It’s also not a good idea to try the sucking technique if the back of your hand is covered with mosquito repellent as you may find yourself doing a lot grimacing and wiping your lips and tongue off in total disgust.

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Northern mockingbird. Photo by Iain MacLeod

Nature Notes

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45. Sumac Lemonade When many people hear or see the word sumac, they think that it must be poisonous. While some of the related species such as poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) and poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) contain an oil that causes a severe allergic reaction, the most common sumac found throughout New England does not.

Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) is a woody shrub or small tree that grows in a variety of conditions, including dry and poor soil. The name staghorn stems from the fuzzy, somewhat sticky, hairs found on the newly growing branches, which resembles the soft velvet found on the developing antlers of male deer. You can often find staghorn sumac in large clusters growing on forest edges, hillsides, old fields, and roadsides, especially after the soil has been disturbed. It’s probably most evident when the large compound leaves turn a brilliant red in autumn.

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Staghorn sumac is sometimes considered a weed tree due to its small size and aggressive suckering habit, resulting in almost pure stands, but it does have some value. Historically the wood was used to make picture frames. The entire plant, except the roots, was used to make a natural dye. The young stems were cut and the soft pith hollowed out to make spouts to collect maple sap. Wildlife use it too, including deer that eat the young stems and fruit, and cottontail rabbits that eat the bark. Robins, cardinals, ruffed grouse, and wild turkeys eat the berries as an emergency winter survival food. The fresh berries can also be made into a refreshing drink resembling pink lemonade.

To make lemonade from staghorn sumac it is important to collect the fuzzy berries as soon as they turn red,usually in late July or early August. Thunderstorms and heavy rain leach the flavor from the berries so it’s best not to wait too long. The red berries grow in an upward tapering cluster at the end of the branches.

It’s quick and easy for kids to help collect the berry clusters. To collect them, bend the branches and cut the entire cluster free.

You will need enough berry clusters to loosely fill the container you’re using to make the lemonade. Once you have collected the berries fill the container with cold water. Lightly crush the berry clusters while in the water. Let stand for about 30 minutes. Strain the water though cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Chill, sweeten to taste, and serve. It makes a refreshing drink on hot summer day.

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46. Surefire Firestarter If you are hiking or camping you never know if or when you might need a fire to keep warm. Most hikers and campers carry matches (or flint and steel), but matches alone don’t guarantee you can get a fire going. If conditions are wet or windy, starting a fire is a challenge.

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You can make a simple, surefire, firestarter at home that is easy to keep in a pocket or pack. The only materials you need are 10 to 12 cotton balls, a small plastic sandwich bag (or other small container), and petroleum jelly. Coat the outside of the cotton balls with petroleum jelly while still keeping the cotton balls a little fluffy. Store them in the plastic sandwich bag. When you’re ready to make a fire, place the prepared cotton balls beneath your kindling and light. The coated cotton balls will ignite easily even in wet conditions and will burn for about five minutes, usually enough time to get your kindling burning well.

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47. Take the Temperature of Snow When the snows of winter arrive we usually think about how cold it is. Snow obviously is cold, but the snow covering the ground is like a big white blanket. Subnivean (meaning under the snow) animals, including small mammals like mice, voles, and shrews, take advantage of the snow cover. The layer of snow not only protects them from predators but also from the cold. The air spaces formed within the snow pack act as insulation. It’s been estimated that 10 inches of fresh snow can be about equal to a 6-inch layer of fiberglass insulation. That means temperatures at ground level beneath the snow can be 20 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the air on a frigid 10 degree Fahrenheit night.

Although it may not be balmy, a 20 degree difference can be a huge factor in the amount of energy a small mammal uses to maintain its own body temperature. This in turn means less food it has to find at a time of year when food is hard to come by.

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To compare temperatures all you need is an outdoor thermometer. On a really cold day take the air temperature. Then carefully dig a hole through the snow to ground level. Slide the thermometer into the snow at ground level where the snow hasn’t been packed by your activity. Leave the thermometer in place for half an hour then return and check the thermometer quickly. How much difference is there between the 2 temperatures?

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48. Temperature Mapping Explore your yard with a thermometer. Draw a simple map of your yard showing trees, shrubs, garden, sidewalks, driveway, and other features that may make your yard unique. Using a thermometer, take the temperature of the features you mapped by laying the thermometer on each object for a couple of minutes. Record the date, time, and temperature at each location.

Try doing it on a sunny day, a cloudy day, at different times of the day or night, and in different seasons. What you are doing is looking at microclimates. Many invertebrates and plants are sensitive to microclimates. In the fall you may find ladybird beetles congregating on an object receiving full sun. In the early spring you may notice plants emerging earlier in one location than in another. This activity is a great way to get to know the world just outside your door.

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59 F

58 F

61 F

65 F 75 F 67 F

63 F 68 F

61 F 62F

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67 F

69 F

Nature Notes

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49. Turtle Tracker A fun thing to do if you encounter a turtle out of water is to track where it is going. Here are directions on how to make a simple turtle tracker.

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Materials: • medium size tin can lid • plastic soda straw • large spool of cotton sewing thread (light color preferable) • two 8-penny nails • scissors • hammer • vise • hacksaw • 3/4-inch masking tape

Directions: 1. Take the tin can lid and use one of the nails and a hammer to punch 2 holes approximately 2 inches apart or slightly wider than the width of the spool of thread.

2. Bend the nails using the vise and hammer to form a 90 degree angle about 1 inch from the head of the nail.

3. Flip the nails around in the vise and use the hacksaw to cut off the pointed end of both nails so there is 1 inch left beyond the 90 degree bend.

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4. With the scissors, cut the plastic soda straw so it is the same width as the spool of thread.

5. Slip the bent nails through the holes punched in the tin can lid.

6. Slide the plastic soda straw inside the center hole of the spool.

7. Place one end of the spool over one of the nails.

8. Pull the other nail back until it can be inserted into the other side of the spool. Your tracker is ready to go.

9. Attach the turtle tracker to the carapace (top shell) of a turtle using masking tape. Tie one end of the thread to the base of a small shrub and let the turtle go.

10. Leave the area for 20 or 30 minutes to allow the turtle to roam.

Return and follow the line of thread to see where the turtle went.

Usually the turtle is found quickly, but in the event the turtle goes beyond the length of the thread don’t panic. You might locate the turtle by surveilling the area in the direction the turtle was heading, but if not don’t worry. You may end up losing the turtle tracker, but the turtle will shed the device if it gets hung up because masking tape tears easily and loses its “stick” when wet.

Wood Turtle with tracker

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50. Visit a Vernal Pool One of the most fascinating features of New England’s forested landscape are vernal pools. The word vernal means spring, as in springtime, which is appropriate for these distinctive wetlands since they form in forested depressions that fill with melted snow and spring rain. Vernal pools by definition are only shallow temporary wetlands and usually dry up by late summer. This doesn’t mean they aren’t important. In fact, because they dry up, they are devoid of fish so they provide a safe environment for specialized amphibians and invertebrates.

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Vernal pool. Photo by Eric D’Aleo

The best way to experience vernal pools is to visit the same pool several times from the onset of snow melt to the end of July.

If you know the location of a vernal pool and time your first visit to occur on the first rainy night when temperatures are over 43 degrees Fahrenheit, you could witness the congregation of mating spotted salamanders. Or if you quietly approach a vernal pool on a sunny, windless day around that same time of year, you might hear the “quacking clucks” of wood frogs. Make another visit a few days later and you could see clusters of jellylike eggs. These are eggs of salamanders and wood frogs attached to submerged fallen branches.

Wood frog. Photo by Eric D’Aleo

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As spring advances continue to look closely. You may glimpse fairy shrimp slowly hovering through the water or little bundles of fallen hemlock tree needles slowly moving about. These bundles are protective cases built by caddisfly larva. Visit again with a dip net in hand, and you may catch the tadpoles of spotted salamanders or wood frogs. And yes, you will scoop up a host of mosquito larvae as well. The mosquito larvae are plentiful and are an important food source for the predacious insect larva and salamander tadpoles.

Despite the lack of fish predators, a vernal pool is still a dangerous place for the animals that depend on them. One big risk the gill-breathing salamander larvae face is the race to grow into little airbreathing salamanders before the pool dries up.

Springs with little snow melt and spring rain, or a hotter and drier than normal early summer may result in the pool drying up along with the larvae. Fortunately the salamander species that utilize vernal pools are long-lived. As long as they produce enough young over their lifespans, they will survive.

Fairy shrimp Photo courtesy James F. Haney

Wood frog tadpole Photo courtesy Vernal Pool Association

Visiting a vernal pool with children is a great experience. The small size of the pool allows the children to explore the edges of the entire pool.

With some guidance their eyes can be opened to some truly remarkable Caddisfly larva life forms.

Photo courtesy James F. Haney

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Jefferson salamander Photo courtesy Allen Sheldon

Salamander eggs Photo courtesy Vernal Pool Association

Spotted salamander Photo by Eric D’Aleo

Mosquito larva Photo courtesy James F. Haney

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Spotted salamander larva Photo courtesy Vernal Pool Association

When Hiking and the Kids Get Tired ...

Things to Do For older children: Find 10 things that can’t be photographed. (examples: air, insects breathing, trees growing, sounds of birds and insects, odors of flowers, moss, soil, something 100 feet underground, temperature of rocks, water, your heart beating, thoughts you’re having...)

For younger children: • Find something round, something red, something alive, something dead.

• Make music tapping sticks together. Try to guess the song.

• Put on Striped Maple Goose Feet and see who can keep theirs on the longest - see page 98.

• Put on Bracken Fern Hats and see who can keep theirs on the longest - see page 19.

• Look for animal burrows along the trail - see page 30.

• Look under logs - see page 62.

• In season look for edible berries - see page 10.

If all else fails stop, rest, drink some water, eat a snack, and take a break.

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Activities by Season

Spring Balsam Fir Blister Boats Bio Census Bird Nesting Materials Construct a Pond Scope Create a Boarding House for Wildlife Dandelion Seed Roulette Full Moon Bird Migration Observation Fun Art with Fungus Grass Blade Whistle Sucking in a Bird Visit a Vernal Pool Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Summer Balsam Fir Blister Boats Berry Picking Bio Census Bracken Fern Hat Build a Budget Bird Bath Build a Butterfly Net Capture Water from a Tree!

Catching Crawfish Construct a Pond Scope Create a Boarding House for Wildlife Fire in a Jar - Catching Fireflies Flower and Leaf Press Fun Art with Fungus Grass Blade Whistle Ground Trap for Small Critters Jewelweed Leaf Prints Life Under Logs Meteors in the August Sky and in the Mouth Mothing 101 - Attract Moths by Light Mothing 102 - Attract Moths by Smell Racing Invertebrates Soda Bottle Terrarium Striped Maple Leaf Goose Feet Sucking in a Bird Sumac Lemonade Turtle Tracker Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

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Fall Balsam Fir Blister Boats Bio Census Burdock Games Construct a Pond Scope Create a Boarding House for Wildlife Flower and Leaf Press Full Moon Bird Migration Observation Fun Art with Fungus Grass Blade Whistle Leaf Prints Old Sock Seed Search Preserving Fall Foliage Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Winter Christmas Eve Critter Feed Forcing Pussy Willows Look for Animal Tracks Make a Picture Story Milk Jug Bird Feeder Pinecone Peanut Butter Bird Feeder Take the Temperature of Snow Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Any Season Bark Rubbings Checking Animal Burrows Color with Plants How Tall is That Tree?

Look for Animal Tracks Make a Brush Pile for Wildlife Make a Minnow Trap Make a Picture Story Make Your Own Air Freshener Milk Jug Bird Feeder Pinecone Peanut Butter Bird Feeder Surefire Firestarter Temperature Mapping Light Green: C20 M0 Y100 K0 Dark Green: C85 M10 Y100 K10 Red: C15 M100 Y90 K10 Blue: C70 M15 Y0 K0

Activities by Preparation Time and Materials

Little or no preparation Balsam Fir Blister Boats Berry Picking Bracken Fern Hat Burdock Games Checking Animal Burrows Dandelion Seed Roulette Full Moon Bird Migration Observation Fun Art with Fungus Grass Blade Whistle How Tall is That Tree?

Jewelweed Life Under Logs Look for Animal Tracks Meteors in the August Sky and in the Mouth Striped Maple Leaf Goose Feet Sucking in a Bird Visit a Vernal Pool

Require more time/items/tools Bio Census Bird Nesting Materials Build a Butterfly Net Catching Crawfish Construct a Pond Scope Flower and Leaf Press Leaf Prints Make a Minnow Trap Make a Picture Story Milk Jug Bird Feeder Mothing 101 - Attract Moths by Light Mothing 102 - Attract Moths by Smell Pinecone Peanut Butter Bird Feeder Preserving Fall Foliage Soda Bottle Terrarium Surefire Firestarter Turtle Tracker

Require at least 1 item/tool Bark Rubbings Build a Budget Bird Bath Capture Water from a Tree Christmas Eve Critter Feed Color With Plants Create a Boarding House for Wildlife Fire in a Jar - Catching Fireflies Forcing Pussy Willows Ground Trap for Small Critters Make a Brush Pile for Wildlife Make Your Own Air Freshener Racing Invertebrates Sumac Lemonade Take the Temperature of Snow Temperature Mapping Old Sock Seed Search

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Plant-Focused Activities Balsam Fir Blister Boats Bark Rubbings Berry Picking Bracken Fern Hat Burdock Games Capture Water from a Tree Color With Plants Dandelion Seed Roulette Flower and Leaf Press Forcing Pussy Willows Grass Blade Whistle

How Tall is that Tree?

Jewelweed Leaf Prints Make Your Own Air Freshener Old Sock Seed Search Pinecone Peanut Butter Bird Feeder Preserving Fall Foliage Soda Bottle Terrarium Striped Maple Leaf Goose Feet Sumac Lemonade

Animal-Focused Activities Bird Nesting Materials Build a Budget Bird Bath Build a Butterfly Net Catching Crawfish Checking Animal Burrows Construct a Pond Scope Create a Boarding House for Wildlife Fire in a Jar - Catching Fireflies Full Moon Bird Migration Observation Ground Trap for Small Critters Life Under Logs

Look for Animal Tracks Make a Brush Pile for Wildlife Make a Minnow Trap Milk Jug Bird Feeder Mothing 101 - Attract Moths by Light Mothing 102 - Attract Moths by Smell Pine Cone Peanut Butter Bird Feeder Racing Invertebrates Sucking in a Bird Turtle Tracker Visit a Vernal Pool

Nighttime Activities Fire in a Jar - Catching Fireflies Full Moon Bird Migration Observation Meteors in the August Sky and in the Mouth Mothing 101 - Attract Moths by Light Mothing 102 - Attract Moths by Smell Surefire Firestarter Visit a Vernal Pool

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Nature Notes

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